As Issac stared at Ilse, memories came rushing in, forcing him to remember just how callous he had been.
She had to have been frightened out of her wits that day she had called him—-
His whole life he had loved her, had wanted to be there for her—-
And yet he had failed her when she needed him the most.
He had given her all the promises in the world, but he had failed her. It had given her every right to scream at him, to get mad, but even in the end—-
Even as her world crumbled around her, Ilse had still found it in her heart to worry about him, had still tried her best to ease his guilt—-
Her gently spoken words drifted into his mind, and each word hurt.
You have no need to explain.
The words tormented him, and he choked out, “I’m sorry.” He stared at her desperately, willing her to believe in him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when I should have been. You were the only girl I loved. The only girl I have ever loved—-”
He watched her lips part at his words.“Issac.”
“I’ve never stopped thinking about you, and Natalia – somehow she knew.” He swallowed hard. “She probably set this whole thing up, thinking that I’d lose interest in you the moment I saw you, but—-” A grim expression settled on Issac’s face. “I’m no longer the idiot I was four years back.”
He gazed at Ilse, his beautiful, kind Ilse, and his heart ached so damn bad that it was barely able to keep beating.
“You probably don’t need to hear this,” Issac said unevenly, “but I’mdamn proudof what you’ve become.”
Ilse’s lips started to tremble.
“You’re a good sister to Jan, and if your parents could talk to you now, I k-know...I know they’d tell you the same thing.That you did them proud—-”
She didn’t say anything as her hands went up to cover her mouth.
But in her eyes, he saw what she wanted to say.
Thank you.
Her hands slowly lowered, and he saw a smile start to tremble on her lips. Her unspoken words reached him like she had whispered it straight to his heart.
I forgive you.
His head lowered as her words washed over him, cleansing him, healing him.
God.
He had never even let himself hope for her forgiveness, but he should have known it would be this simple and easy.
Because she was Ilse.
“When we were sixteen,” Issac heard himself say, “I wanted to tell you something, but I didn’t have the right word then.”
“Are you saying,” she teased shakily, “it took you almost seven years to find it?”
Yes,he thought. It had taken him seven years to find the right word...because it had taken him the same seven years to find the courage to say—-
“Ethereal,” he said rawly.
Issac raised his head, and his gaze met hers unwaveringly.
“That was what I wanted to say to you then.”
